The invention relates generally to the field of photography, and in particular to a hybrid film exposure, electronic exposure camera. More specifically, the invention relates to a dual film image capture, electronic image capture camera that is capable of electronic information editing after each substantially simultaneous film and electronic exposure, and that magnetically records the information adjacent each one of the exposed film frames after completed exposure of the entire film length.
Prior art U.S. Pat. No. 5,710,954 issued Jan. 20, 1998 discloses a camera for exposing latent images on successive frames of a filmstrip having magnetic recording capacity, in which an electronic image sensor forms an electronic image corresponding to the latent image on a most-recently exposed one of the film frames substantially simultaneously with exposure of the latent image on that exposed frame, a motor is actuated to incrementally advance the filmstrip forward to permit the each unexposed one of the film frames to be exposed and is actuated after the final available one of the film frames is exposed to rewind the exposed film length rearward, and a magnetic head magnetically records user-selected information on the filmstrip adjacent each exposed frame.
The cross-referenced application Ser. No. 09/491,633, entitled DUAL FILM EXPOSURE, ELECTRONIC EXPOSURE CAMERA WITH FILM REWRITE FUNCTION, discloses a camera for exposing latent images on successive frames of a filmstrip having magnetic recording capacity, including a control that actuates a motor following exposure of each film frame to advance the filmstrip forward one frame increment, and a magnetic head that magnetically records user-selected information on the filmstrip adjacent the most-recently exposed one of the film frames as the filmstrip is advanced forward. The control first actuates the motor to advance the filmstrip rearward one frame increment when it is desired to change the existing information magnetically recorded adjacent the most-recently exposed one of the film frames to some new information, and then actuates the motor to advance the filmstrip forward one frame increment for the magnetic head to magnetically record the new information adjacent the same frame in place of the existing information. Preferably, an electronic image sensor is connected to the control to form an electronic image corresponding to the latent image on the most-recently exposed one of the film frames, and a memory is connected to the control to store the electronic image corresponding to the latent image on the most-recently exposed one of the film frames and to store at least some of the magnetically recorded information for the same frame superimposed on the electronic image.
The cross-referenced application Ser. No. 09/492,055, entitled DUAL FILM EXPOSURE, ELECTRONIC EXPOSURE CAMERA WITH DELAY IN FILM REWIND AFTER FINAL EXPOSURE TO ALLOW FILM REWRITE, discloses a camera for exposing latent images on successive frames of a filmstrip having magnetic recording capacity, includes a memory that stores a count indicative of the film frames remaining to be exposed (including a count of xe2x80x9c0xe2x80x9d to indicate that the final frame was exposed), a magnetic head that magnetically records user-selected information on the filmstrip adjacent each film frame, and a motor that is actuated following exposure of each film frame to advance the filmstrip forward one frame increment to permit the magnetic head to record the information on the filmstrip adjacent each exposed frame and that is actuated after the magnetic information is written on the filmstrip adjacent the final exposed frame to rewind the exposed film length rearward. An input receiving control is connected to the memory, the magnetic head, and the motor for delaying actuation of the motor to rewind the exposed film length rearward after the magnetic head has magnetically written the information on the filmstrip adjacent the final exposed frame, to give the user some time to manually input to the control that the information magnetically written adjacent the final exposed frame should be rewritten, and in the absence of the input by the time the delay has elapsed triggers actuation of the motor to rewind the exposed film length rearward.
The cross-referenced application Ser. No. 09/491,448, entitled DUAL FILM EXPOSURE, ELECTRONIC EXPOSURE CAMERA WITH MULTIPLE REWRITE ON FILM EXCEPT FOR FINAL EXPOSURE discloses a camera for exposing latent images on successive frames of a filmstrip having magnetic recording capacity, includes a memory that stores a count indicative of the film frames remaining to be exposed (including a count of xe2x80x9c0xe2x80x9d to indicate that the final frame was exposed), a magnetic head that magnetically records user-selected information on the filmstrip adjacent each film frame, and a motor that is actuated following exposure of each film frame to advance the filmstrip to permit the magnetic head to record the information on the filmstrip adjacent each exposed frame. A plurality of information selection switches can be manually used to select the information the magnetic head will magnetically record on the filmstrip adjacent the most-recently exposed one of the film frames including the final exposed frame. An input receiving control is connected to the memory, the magnetic head, the motor, and the information selection switches to actuate the motor to advance the filmstrip to permit the magnetic head to record the information on the filmstrip adjacent the most-recently exposed one of the film frames except the final exposed frame, each time at least one of the selection switches is used to select the information, and to record the information on the filmstrip adjacent the final exposed frame, only one time at least one of the selection switches is used to select the information.
A camera for exposing latent images on successive frames of a filmstrip having magnetic recording capacity, in which an electronic image sensor forms an electronic image corresponding to the latent image on a most-recently exposed one of the film frames substantially simultaneously with exposure of the latent image on that exposed frame, a motor is actuated to incrementally advance the filmstrip forward to permit the each unexposed one of the film frames to be exposed and is actuated after the final available one of the film frames is exposed to rewind the exposed film length rearward, and a magnetic head magnetically records user-selected information on the filmstrip adjacent each exposed frame, is characterized in that:
a memory stores the electronic image and the information to be magnetically recorded for every one of the exposed frames;
a display can show the electronic image and at least some of the information stored in the memory for any one of the exposed frames;
an exposed frame selector can be manually used to change the electronic image and the information shown in the display for any one of the exposed frames to the electronic image and the information stored in the memory for another one of the exposed frames; and
a plurality of information selectors can be manually used to change the information stored in the memory for the particular one of the exposed frames that corresponds to the electronic image shown in the display, whereby the information to be magnetically recorded adjacent any one of the exposed frames can be changed before the exposed film length is rewound rearward.
Preferably, a control is connected to the motor, the memory and the magnetic head to first actuate the motor after the final available one of the film frames is exposed to rewind the exposed film length rearward, then actuate the motor to continuously advance the exposed film length forward, and finally actuate the motor to rewind the exposed film length rearward. The control causes the magnetic head to magnetically record the information stored in the memory for each exposed frame on the exposed film length when the exposed film length is continuously advanced forward.